Oh, hi there. Sorry...I haven't abandoned you. You are much too precious. I will say, however, that things might be a teensy bit on the quiet side for a little while. I hope that's okay? If you're feeling lonely, I'll still be quite active on social media. Check Produce On Parade out on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter for food, fun, and Alaskany goodness.

We cannot change anything unless we accept it.

— Carl Jung

Romanesco is a queen amongst vegetables. I brought this one home from our local grocery store and Todd exclaimed, "What is that thing? It looks like a seashell!" Closer to cauliflower than broccoli, (which is contrary to what people initially perceive) it can easily be substituted with either if the stunning romanesco remains elusive to you. It seems every now and again I just can't resist picking one up if I spot it.

In case you hadn't noticed, I am in love with my reusable produce bags (as seen above). No more clear plastic bags to put my produce in! I was gifted these reusable ones some time ago from a friend and I'm so happy to have them. If you're looking to snag some of your own and ditch the plastic here are some great bags.

This recipe came about out of, you guessed it...desperation. I needed to use the romanesco and a bunch of golden beets I had before my next CSA box came. A craving for teriyaki had been pestering me all week and I had a bag of cooked red rice in the freezer. And voila! This recipe was born. You might spot some quinoa in my rice. That's because I buy red quinoa and a while back I accidentally added it to my large jar of red rice. Whoops! I wasn't able to get all the quinoa out and so alas, I'm stuck with quinoa-rice...but I kind of like it!

In this wonderful dish, roasted romanesco and sweet beets perch atop a bed of rice, drizzled with a scrumptious teriyaki glaze. It's sweet and salty, and done in a pinch!

Teriyaki Romanesco & Beet Bowl

Roasted romanesco and sweet beets perch atop a bed of rice, drizzled with a delicious teriyaki glaze. It's sweet and salty, and done in a pinch.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

- Vegetables-

1 medium head of romanesco, florets only and chopped (or broccoli or cauliflower)

6 small beets, stems removed and quartered (peeled or unpeeled)

1 tbsp sesame oil

-Teriyaki Glaze-

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin (or 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar with 1 tbsp sugar)

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup vegan granulated sugar

1 tbsp fresh ginger, very finely minced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 tbsp cornstarch

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2 cups cooked rice (or quinoa, millet, etc.)

Cooking Directions

For the vegetables:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Scrub clean the romanesco and beets and chop them accordingly. Arrange the vegetables on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the beets are tender.

While the vegetables cook, prepare the rice.

For the glaze:

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, excluding the water and cornstarch. When all the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is hot, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Next, slowly whisk the cornstarch water into the sauce. Continue to whisk, simmered, until the glaze thickens.

To serve, place 1/2 cup of the cooked rice in a bowl, topped with a 1/4 of the roasted vegetables and 1/4 cup of the glaze.

Dutch Word of The Day

Quiet (noun) --> stilte (still-teh)

Story of The Day

It's articles like this that warm my heart! A San Francisco sushi chef is creating beautiful and outstanding vegan rolls. "...with issues like overfishing, bycatch and high mercury levels gaining traction with consumers, it may only be a matter of time before demand kickstarts a faux-fish movement on the heels of the plant-based protein revolution already underway." Read all about his unique sushi in an NPR article here. Faux fish for the win!